The End of Youth Ministry?

"After half a century of advice books on the 'what' and 'how' of youth ministry, Root is the first practical theologian to seriously tackle the 'why' of youth ministry--why even do youth ministry in the first place? Using a Kierkegaardian fable as his foil, Root explores deficient ways we justify youth ministry, and then dives headlong into joy as the reason it matters. Root has made a career out of challenging the youth ministry industry, but this is his most important youth ministry book to date. The end of youth ministry? Hardly. This is where it starts."

"Andy Root takes us on a historic and self-reflective tour to demonstrate how youth ministries reveal what motivates parents and church leaders. I saw myself among those unknowingly promoting a new hedonism: helping young people find their 'thing' in order to feel happy. Andy frames our preoccupation with faith formation as part of this quest, which ultimately supplants faith's true end--an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. As we hope he would, Andy calls us back to the cross by inviting young people to identify with Christ's death and thus experience 'God's action' in their lives. Rather than busyness, silence and humility make way for gratitude, and genuine joy erupts. Andy reminds us that it is at the cross where young people--and our communities--find themselves transformed."

"Sometimes the riskiest questions we ask return us to the most basic ones. Andy's quest to answer 'What is youth ministry for?' invites us to join his own journey of theological and self-reflection. He is a trustworthy guide for any youth minister who is fatigued by the expectations placed upon them to be programmers of fun or spiritual marketers vying for space in an oversaturated world of extracurricular activities. This book dares us to reorient our youth ministry approaches away from cultivating happiness and toward Christ crucified. It speaks to new youth ministers who want to start their ministry right and to youth ministry veterans craving realignment."

"There are nagging questions in youth ministry, many of which we hesitate to name out loud. 'Does what I'm doing matter?' 'Is any of this making a difference?' In The End of Youth Ministry?, Andrew Root manages to put his finger on these concerns and bring them into the light. He doesn't just name these questions, he explores them at length and then returns them to the youth worker in such a way that the questions become gifts. What Root has produced here is a page-turning look at the theological foundations of youth ministry. He has provided a way forward--one we can grow into, all the while pointing us in the direction of the good life."

"Andy Root is among the finest theologians working in the area of youth ministry today. His many books evince a learned and sustained engagement with some of the most important thinkers in biblical studies, theology, philosophy, social theory, and more. His latest work, The End of Youth Ministry?, is no different, though its methodology is refreshingly new. Here he tells the story of a young man named Andrew on a journey to answer the question, 'What is youth ministry for?' The conversations at each stop along the way serve as a kind of Socratic method. Questions are asked, potential answers are put forth and found wanting, and the journey continues until finally--resolution. So what is the end of youth ministry? Read this book and Andy Root will show you the way."